Assignment 1 is the first part of a five-part project to plan the various elements of a program evaluation for education. Select a program target from your school district, workplace, (e.g., business training program) or your university (where you are a student). For you to gain the most from the assignment, you should select a program that you are interested in, would like to see evaluated, and are able to obtain information about. (Possible programs include: student assessment, teacher assessment, pay for student achievement, new teacher or employee training, online classrooms, anti-bullying, gender equity for girls in math and science, school to work, retention of at-risk students, and schools of choice (charter schools), etc.). As you develop the entire plan, gather information, and receive feedback from your professor (or others), you should revise and refine each part of the project. Think of your professor as your project evaluator and supervisor who will help guide you so that you produce an outstanding, well-developed evaluation plan for the stakeholders.
Write a three to four (3-4) page paper in which you:
Describe three (3) elements of a worthy object for program evaluation – its type, the department administrating it, and target population. Describe the program’s history, primary purpose(s), and / or expected outcomes. Explain three (3) reasons for selecting the program (e.g., program’s value or lack of it, issues surrounding it, age, relevance, cost, impact on students, etc.). Discuss three (3) advantages of evaluating the program at this time. Discuss two (2) major constraints in conducting an evaluation on this program and a method of addressing them. Use at least three (3) peer-reviewed academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and many Websites do not qualify as academic resources. Peer-reviewed academic resources refer to articles and scholarly journals that are reviewed by a panel of experts or peers in the field. Review the video titled Research Starter: Finding Peer-Reviewed References for more information on obtaining peer-reviewed academic resources through your Blackboard course shell. Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
Typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides. Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length. Include a reference page. Citations and references must follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:
Explore the need for evaluating school programs. Develop a program evaluation plan for education. Write clearly and concisely about education program evaluation using proper writing mechanics. Use technology and information resources to research issues in educational program evaluation.